The Boston Red Sox welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to Fenway Park on Saturday, July 25, 2026, for a 4:10 PM ET first pitch. Sonny Gray gets the ball for Boston opposite Toronto's Dylan Cease in what shapes up as a marquee pitching matchup at one of baseball's most storied venues. The game airs locally on NESN and on WEEI 93.7 FM for radio listeners across New England. Every game at this point in the season carries weight in the standings, and a quality start from Gray against a dangerous Blue Jays lineup would be a significant boost.

Pitching Matchup: Sonny Gray vs. Dylan Cease

Gray and Cease are two of the more experienced arms either club can run out there, and this matchup has the feel of a genuine battle. Gray has been a veteran presence at the top of the Boston rotation, and this start at Fenway gives him a home crowd behind him. Cease, a strikeout-heavy right-hander, is exactly the kind of pitcher who can keep a Red Sox offense quiet if his command is on. Neither pitcher's current season stats are confirmed at this writing, so the pitching line to watch is how deep each man goes and how many free passes he issues.

Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup

• Anthony Seigler — 2B
• Ceddanne Rafaela — CF
• Wilyer Abreu — RF
• Willson Contreras — 1B
• Masataka Yoshida — DH
• Caleb Durbin — 3B
• Jarren Duran — LF
• Andruw Monasterio — SS
• Connor Wong — C

Boston's lineup card has some interesting construction worth noting. Anthony Seigler leads off from the second base spot, with Ceddanne Rafaela right behind him in center. Wilyer Abreu bats third, setting up Willson Contreras as the cleanup hitter from the first base position — a role that puts production pressure squarely on the veteran switch-hitter. Masataka Yoshida slides into the five-hole at DH, giving the Sox a left-handed presence in the heart of the order. Jarren Duran batting seventh is a lineup note worth tracking — a player with his athleticism hitting that low in the order is something to watch as the game develops.

Keys to Watch Against Dylan Cease

• Cease can pile up strikeouts, so the Sox need to put the ball in play early in counts and avoid falling behind.
• Rafaela and Abreu at the top of the order have the speed to make things happen if they can get on base.
• Yoshida's at-bats against Cease will be a measuring stick — a disciplined lefty bat in the middle of the lineup forces Cease to work.
• Durbin and Monasterio in the six and eight spots need to provide at least some offensive contribution to keep the lineup from stalling out in the bottom third.

Keys to Watch for Sonny Gray

• Gray's ability to work deep into the game matters — protecting a bullpen over a long series is a real consideration at this stage of the season.
• The Blue Jays will look for traffic on the bases, so Gray's control and ability to work out of jams will be tested.
• Connor Wong behind the plate calls the game for Gray, and their ability to disrupt Toronto's timing through pitch sequencing is a factor.

Prediction

This is a pitching-forward game that could stay low-scoring into the late innings. Gray at Fenway with a crowd behind him is a good spot for the Red Sox. Cease is capable of keeping this game close, but Boston's lineup has enough pieces in the middle — Contreras, Yoshida, and a healthy Duran further down — to find a run or two when it counts. Red Sox win a tight one, 3-2.